


Crime doesn't wait for justice

by DoomedTemperament



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29190882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTemperament/pseuds/DoomedTemperament
Summary: Emperor turned to look at him then (or at least, Mayuzumi assumed he was looking at him; The gold, blindfold-esque mask that Emperor wore completely covered his eyes— god only knows how he saw through it,) and wore something akin to a smirk. Oh, how he hated that minimalistic expression.At least, that’s what he told himself.
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Mayuzumi Chihiro
Kudos: 12





	Crime doesn't wait for justice

**Author's Note:**

> I first wrote this fic in June or July of 2016, kept rewriting it until like February 2017, and then promptly forgot about it until now.
> 
> MayuAka still has the key to my heart.

“You’re late again, Phase.”

The annoyingly calm voice was one of Mayuzumi’s least favorite things to hear.

“I don’t recall agreeing to be your partner during night patrols,” he responded dryly.

“And yet, you show up anyway. Surely this happens too often to be considered a coincidence.”

Mayuzumi scoffed.

“You know, for someone who claims that he can’t see the future, you still act like you know everything.”

It wasn’t denial.

Emperor turned to look at him then (or at least, Mayuzumi assumed he was looking at him; The gold, blindfold-esque mask that Emperor wore completely covered his eyes- god only knows how he saw through it,) and wore something akin to a smirk. Oh, how he hated that minimalistic expression.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

* * *

It took a startlingly long time for Mayuzumi to realize that he’d had blooming superpowers; He wasn’t even sure if he could properly remember when he had first discovered his abilities.

* * *

_Rakuzan’s rooftop was bathed in sunlight, and Mayuzumi was almost comfortable enough that he could set down his light novel and take a nap. It seemed like he was always tired lately. But the storyline of his book was too fascinating to set down just yet._

_He was so engrossed in his reading that he nearly missed the bell signaling the lunch hour. With a loud sigh, he stood up, his nose still buried between the pages, and walked towards the roof’s exit. He was in the middle of turning a page when he felt a strange tingling sensation that disappeared as quickly as it had come._

_Looking up from his book, Mayuzumi found himself at the top of the staircase leading up to the roof. A quick glance behind him revealed nothing but the entryway door._

_Which was closed._

_“What the actual fuck.”_

* * *

One of the benefits of being intangible was that bullets flew right through him. Unfortunately, Emperor did not possess the same ability, so Mayuzumi was forced to take charge when the would-be burglar had pulled out a gun. Even with Emperor’s superhuman reflexes and precognition, there wasn’t much he could do to actually avoid being shot while simultaneously charging a criminal. Maybe that was why he liked having Mayuzumi around- to do the work for him.

Apprehending the criminal was a quick and easy affair after that- _honestly, who was dumb enough to try to shoot a superhero?_ \- and delivering the poor sucker to a safe dropoff point for the police to collect didn’t take much time either. Mayuzumi was half-tempted to say “fuck it” and go back home to his unimpressive apartment to catch up on some well-needed rest, but just as he was preparing to leave, Emperor decided to throw a wrench into his plans yet again.

“You know, we’ve been working together for quite a few months now.”

Mayuzumi stopped mid-stride, and turned to look back at Emperor, who was facing away from him.

“We don’t know much about each other, do we?” Emperor continued.

“You mean _I_ don’t know much about _you_ ,” Mayuzumi said with a hint of frustration in his voice. “You practically scouted me off the streets.”

“So? Just because I’ve seen your face doesn’t mean I know anything about you. I don’t even have your name.”

“And you’re not going to get it. Isn’t that the point of the whole ‘alter ego’ business?” Mayuzumi countered, and later added, “We’re not supposed to let people know anything about our real selves. It puts everyone in danger.”

“You say that as if I would betray you. If anything, I should be worried.”

Mayuzumi made a show of rolling his eyes.

“Let’s make a deal- I’ll tell you my name when you tell me yours.”

“You know I can’t do that, Phase.”

“Then don’t expect that sort of thing from me. As far as I’m concerned, we’re equals.”

Emperor huffed out a laugh.

“If you’re sure.”

After several more silent moments, Mayuzumi decided he would prefer to keep patrolling ( _It’s not like I have anything better to do,_ he thought to himself.) Several minutes of roaming through the quietness of the city passed. Mayuzumi glanced back at Emperor. His strides were almost relaxed, and he could hear the repetitive click-clack of his boots against the sidewalk.

“Why do you want to know more about me anyway? It’s not like we have any real reason to be personal outside of our… work.”

“Do I need a reason?” Emperor hummed. “I like being able to understand how people function. I like being absolute. But, while your personality may be a bit predictable, you still manage to surprise me, at times. Even after I had finished my time training you, you continued to stick by my side-”

“You’d pester me otherwise,” Mayuzumi interrupted.

“Maybe. But you still had the choice to ignore me and go about your own business. I can’t help but wonder what that says about you.”

“I might just be a creature of habit,” Mayuzumi said, and to his chagrin, Emperor only smiled and kept walking.

Now he was definitely ready to go back home.

* * *

After initially discovering his powers, Mayuzumi was able to hone them over the months that followed. It wasn’t as though people with superpowers were a brand new thing (apparently there were tons of heroes in the USA, which didn’t surprise him- god knows the country needed them) but having others know that he could suddenly walk through walls (but not disappear or fly- he guessed he wasn’t much more unique than the other guys) would probably freak out a few people. Thus, he decided to try training his powers in private. Thankfully, he was already mostly ignored in school, so avoiding the general public’s eye was only somewhat more difficult.

* * *

_Mayuzumi glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby. Certain that the coast was clear, he focused on the chocolate bar in the vending machine, and placed his hand forward…_

_Bingo._

_It was funny how he could easily grab a treat while still being able to phase his hand through the glass of the machine- it was all a matter of what he wanted to do with his powers, something as natural as moving a limb, he thought. Selective tangibility was a pretty sweet deal when it came to things like saving a few hundred yen on a piece of candy._

_Otherwise, though, he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to use his powers to his advantage. Theft and crime didn’t particularly appeal to him, but it wasn’t like he could be some sort of superhero on his own with such a lame power._

_At least, that’s what he thought at first._

* * *

Spreadsheets were Mayuzumi’s own personal hell.

The only blessing of being a grunt work employee of Akashi Corp. was that the job paid well. That, and there were so many other employees that he could almost always get away with taking naps at his computer. Which he was heavily considering doing at that very moment.

“Mayuzumi-san.”

And there went that plan.

“What do you want, Kuroko?”

The blue-haired male across from him simply raised an eyebrow, and gestured to Mayuzumi.

“I don’t think it’s wise to sleep on the job. You know how strict the policies are, and it would be a shame if we had to find someone else to fill your position.”

“Kid, it’s not like I’ve been caught before,” Mayuzumi said, and paused. “Besides, my other job keeps me up late.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard you mention a night job.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like talking about it. My… coworker really gets to me.”

Kuroko blinked blankly at him.

“Everyone gets to you, Mayuzumi-san.”

“Don’t get sassy with me.”

Mayuzumi groaned and rubbed his temples. Kuroko could be a pain when he wanted to be.

“Don’t forget, next month the CEO is going to be visiting our building for an important meeting. I’d recommend you try to at least look productive when he arrives.”

“Doesn’t he usually operate from the offices on the other side of the prefecture?”

“Yes, but it’s important for him to check on the other branches every now and then,” Kuroko said, as if it was obvious (which, Mayuzumi begrudgingly admitted to himself, it probably was.)

“Right, right,” He waved Kuroko off dismissively, taking mild pleasure in the exasperated expression on his face.

Too bad he was too awake to take that nap.

* * *

At the very least, being a superhero was a decent distraction from Mayuzumi’s boredom.

* * *

_Three years after his high school graduation found Mayuzumi wandering aimlessly. He was almost done with his time at the university he attended, only bothering to take an unhealthy multitude of generic core classes, and didn’t really have any huge ambitions. He could always try getting a desk job- those would pay decently- but where would that leave him? Sitting by himself doing nothing, day in and day out for as long as he lived? Boring._

_It was that sort of thought that kept him awake most nights, turning restlessly in his bed. Eventually, during one particular fit, his borderline-insomnia prompted him to get out of bed. He didn’t take long to decide that he wasn’t going to get any more sleep that night. So what was there to do?_

_Looking back on it, deciding to take a walk through the city in the middle of the night was a bad idea._

_He shuffled across the sidewalk, small yawns occasionally passing his lips. He was hardly able to register the sound of footsteps approaching him._

_“Hey, kid. That’s a pretty nice watch you’re wearing.”_

_It figured that the one night Mayuzumi got out of bed would be the night to get mugged._

_“Thanks. You can’t have it.”_

_“You sure about that, kid?” Mayuzumi’s potential mugger growled at him. His face wasn’t even memorable._

_“Positive.”_

_There wasn’t any time for Mayuzumi to react before the guy had grabbed him by the shirt._

_Distantly, he could hear the sound of boots clacking against the pavement._

_“You’re in for a world of hurt, buddy.”_

_Mayuzumi looked at his attacker with the most unimpressed expression he could put together. Unsurprisingly, the sucker had drawn his hand back in preparation for a punch. His fist slammed forward… and went right through his face. The mugger’s face contorted into a look of horror._

_“What the hell-?”_

_Before Mayuzumi could retaliate, though, something- or someone- struck the scumbag on the back of the head, causing him to fall forward and dropping Mayuzumi in the process._

_“Interesting. I had seen that you’d avoid the blow, but I wasn’t quite expecting that.”_

_This time, Mayuzumi actually seemed somewhat startled- from behind where his would-be assailant had stood, was… well, Mayuzumi wasn’t sure who it was._

_The man (who was short enough to be more like a kid, really) had a shock of bright red hair, but that was the least noticeable feature of his. What caught Mayuzumi’s eye was the fact that the stranger was wearing a bright red bodysuit, complete with gold boots, gloves, a belt, and a long strip of cloth completely covering his eyes._

_Mayuzumi wanted to laugh._

_“What kind of costume is that?”_

_Even though he couldn’t see the stranger’s eyes, he had the distinct feeling that he was being glared at._

_“What kind of person insults a hero’s costume when they’ve just apprehended a would-be thief?”_

_“Touché.”_

_Completely disregarding both the superhero and his almost-mugger, Mayuzumi stepped away and adjusted his watch._

_“Thanks for saving me the trouble of having to deal with this guy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to my apartment.”_

_Mayuzumi wasn’t prepared to hear the hero laugh. Maybe protest or try to stop him, but not laugh._

_“You really are something. Come to think of it, I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone like you patrolling the streets.”_

_“Almost nobody sees me anyway. And that’s because I’m not a hero like you.”_

_The stranger tilted his head and ‘hmm’ed._

_“That’s a shame. You have quite a useful power, it’d be unfair not to use it.”_

_“What would I get out of it?” Mayuzumi challenged, wanting to go home but feeling that the hero wouldn’t let him just yet. That was a mistake._

_“The satisfaction of saving lives and stopping crime? The rush of adrenaline? The escape from the monotony of everyday life?”_

_Mayuzumi paused._

_“Tell me more.”_

_The superhero smirked._

* * *

Mayuzumi frowned as he tried to adjust his goggles while still keeping up with Emperor’s pace. Unlike the other man who had, somehow, been blessed with both the power of precognition and superhuman agility, Mayuzumi could only do so much running without tiring. Even his short-lived days on the basketball team at his high school weren’t as physically demanding, perhaps because of his above-average performance.

“Are you having a wardrobe malfunction, Phase?” Emperor joked as they ran, and Mayuzumi was tempted to flip him off.

“It’s the straps on these shitty specs. They keep falling down.”

“Don’t you have the money to replace them?”

“I do, but I like these ones.”

Emperor had always criticized Mayuzumi’s choice of “costume”, since apparently a pair of goggles, a navy hoodie, jeans, and boots were “too casual.” But they were comfortable, and like hell Mayuzumi was going to sacrifice one of his costume pieces. He may not be model-stylish, but he still prided himself on having relatively good fashion sense- unlike his bright red-and-gold counterpart.

“You’re falling behind, Phase.”

Emperor’s voice snapped Mayuzumi out of his thoughts, and he frowned. Emperor had appeared especially stressed lately, and Mayuzumi wasn’t sure why. It was troublesome, knowing that where Emperor had succeeding in neutralizing Mayuzumi’s veil of apathy and bringing him to care about _“things”,_ Mayuzumi failed at doing the same for Emperor.

“Yeah, yeah. The cops have probably gotten to the robbers already since the station is closer to the bank,” Mayuzumi spat out.

Emperor didn’t respond.

And later, after the criminals had been apprehended and Mayuzumi had returned to his apartment to remove his Phase persona, he wondered why he cared if he failed at all.

* * *

_“Let me get this straight- you just want me to meet you here again every night so you can take me under your wing?” Mayuzumi asked, skeptical._

_“Unless there’s somewhere else you’d prefer to meet at. But not many people enjoy being seen in public with superheroes, so choose your location carefully.” The hero responded, and Mayuzumi swore there was something amused in his voice._

_“Can we at least make it every other night? I’m on a job hunt right now, and I can’t afford to lose sleep.”_

_The hero made a noncommittal noise, and tapped his chin in thought._

_“I suppose that would be better. I can finish my patrols, and you can decide your identity.” He paused, then added with a sharp tone, “But know this: I won’t go easy on you when I train you.”_

_Mayuzumi let out a huff. “Right, I’ll keep that in mind.”_

_“I mean it. You may not know this, but my power extends beyond superhuman athleticism;” Something strange could be heard in the hero’s tone of voice. “I have the gift of what you might call… precognition.”_

_“So you can see the future?” Mayuzumi asked._

_“Not quite. You see… I’ve been granted with the ability to see the most likely events of actions that are about to take place.”_

_“So you can see the future,” Mayuzumi repeated flatly._

_The hero shook his head, and the ribbons of the ridiculous sash covering his eyes fluttered with the motion._

_“As pleasant as that would be, the answer is still no. For example: earlier, before I took care of your mugger,” The hero then gestured to the still-incapacitated assailant, “I was able to sense that you would avoid being hit. What I wasn’t able to sense was the fact that you have powers. Only the most crucial details of what will happen are revealed, and even then, they can become foggy.”_

_Mayuzumi stared blankly at the hero. “So what does this have to do with training?”_

_The hero pointed at Mayuzumi then, and Mayuzumi almost felt cornered from the action._

_“I’ll be able to see your full potential. I’ll know if you’re capable of rising above and beyond expectations, if I can push you to your limits, if you’ll be challenged. I can train you like nobody else can- provided you’re willing to come under my wing.”_

_Mayuzumi had to pause for a moment to think. Was it really worth it to try his hand at fighting crime with a guy like this?_

_...Eh, what did he have to lose._

_“What should I be calling my mentor then?” He asked, feeling exhaustion begin to creep up on him._

_“Emperor.”_

_And with that, the hero grabbed the source of Mayuzumi’s future occupation, and ran off at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible whether or not he was carrying someone on his back._

_Mayuzumi really needed to get some sleep._

* * *

True to his annoyingly tolerable coworker’s words, the following month brought forth the CEO of the company. Mayuzumi knew relatively little about the man- apparently he was some sort of prodigy, taking over one particular section of his father’s company straight after graduating from college; He couldn’t be older than twenty. Barely even old enough to drink, and still a child, compared to Mayuzumi’s twenty-two year old self, or so he wanted to tell himself.

_It really sucks to be working so far underneath someone younger than you._

Pretending to be productive was nearly impossible. Nearly all of his coworkers were in a frenzy to organize the office; Hayama was frantically finishing a powerpoint presentation due in a few hours’ time, Mibuchi was fretting over Nebuya’s untidy cubicle, Midorima was pacing the floor as he waited to show his boss around- even Kuroko, who usually had a frustratingly impassive face, looked concerned. Mayuzumi sighed.

“Just work on your report, and everything should be fine,” He repeatedly muttered to himself, only stopping when he heard Midorima nearly rush over to the office door.

Mayuzumi watched as the CEO stepped inside.

And nearly fell out of his chair.

The bright red hair on the short-statured male was all too familiar. Mayuzumi tensed, watching as calculating ruby eyes scanned the office. Midorima was chatting with him in a formal tone, and the CEO seemed to be hanging onto his words with mild interest. His eyes slid over to Mayuzumi’s cubicle, and suddenly, it seemed as though everything was in slow motion.

The first thing that Mayuzumi observed was the way that one of the CEO’s eyes, for just a split second, seemed to flash gold. The second thing was the way those same mesmerizing eyes widened, as if in shock (though Mayuzumi was sure his expression mirrored that of the CEO.) The third was how the CEO stopped dead in his tracks, attracting Midorima’s attention.

“Is something wrong Akashi-san?” Midorima asked, and the CEO-- Akashi Seijuro, he realized, the leader of Mayuzumi’s division at Akashi Corp., because _of-fucking-course he had to be_ \-- seemed to snap out of his daze, for the most part.

“No, I was just observing the area. Please direct me to the board room.”

Midorima nodded, and walked forward with Akashi following him.

Kuroko poked Mayuzumi’s cheek several times, seemingly disappointed when he didn’t get the desired effect.

“Mayuzumi-san, as entertaining as it is to watch you gape at the CEO like a dead fish, there’s work to be done.”

“Shut up, Kuroko.”

* * *

_Mayuzumi fell to the ground with a thud, yet again._

_“Really- the fifth time in a row?” He huffed out, clearly frustrated at being tripped by Emperor yet again._

_“Whose fault is it that your reaction time is so slow?” Emperor challenged, “You’ve still got far too long to go before you can keep up, so I suggest you take the time you’ve been complaining to improve.”_

_Mayuzumi scowled._

_“Yes, because I have so much time to work on fighting crime techniques. You’re working me like a mule, you know that?”_

_Emperor grinned, and Mayuzumi thought it looked unsettling._

_“You know, you’re not the only one with a job. I’m almost certain mine is far more demanding than yours, and yet I can multitask better than you can.”_

_“Virtually any job is more demanding than mine,” Mayuzumi said, and charged at Emperor in frustration. Emperor, as always, was fully prepared to dodge. It was only this time that Mayuzumi remembered to turn intangible before he could be tripped, and jabbed Emperor in the side, too harshly to be considered a victory tap. Emperor didn’t seem to mind, though._

_“It’s remarkable how much you improve when you’re frustrated.”_

_They had been training for roughly a month, and Mayuzumi had to admit, it was thrilling to be able to make use of his powers instead of living through boring nights- even if it did mess with his sleep schedule. As reluctant as he was to say, Emperor’s training also made it easier for him to maneuver around, and he felt a sort of power surging through him._

_It didn’t mean that Emperor wasn’t a prick when he wanted to be, though._

_That particular thought was emphasized by Emperor doing an overly-ostentatious wall jump and nearly slamming into Mayuzumi, only stopped by Mayuzumi’s intangibility at the very last moment._

_“You’re so gracious,” Mayuzumi said sarcastically, and tried to calm his heartbeat. “You know, as much as I don’t completely despise the training, I’d prefer if we found at least some sort of equal footing.”_

_“What do you mean?” Emperor asked, brushing dust off of his bodysuit._

_“For starters, you haven’t even called me by my name.”_

_“I don’t know it. Did you want me to?”_

_Mayuzumi paused in thought. Would it be safe enough to let Emperor know his real name? Thus far, he hadn’t even needed to address him with a name yet. Plus, it would be better for Mayuzumi to retain some sort of anonymity. Despite Emperor knowing his face, Mayuzumi doubted he’d be able to pick him out from a crowd if they were to see each other in person- he was just that unnoticeable. And maybe it was safer, too._

_“On second thought, maybe not.”_

_“Well,” Emperor said thoughtfully, “You have a name to call me by. Perhaps you should think of a hero name for yourself?”_

_Mayuzumi squashed down the urge to let out an undignified laugh- “A hero name? That sounds so cheesy.”- but then started to wonder. Something cool, something accurate, something that didn’t sound pompous like a certain other hero._

_“How about… Phase?”_

_Mayuzumi wanted to believe that Emperor quirked an eyebrow at that, but he couldn’t tell because of that damned sash._

_“You know. Because I can phase through things.”_

_Emperor let out a quiet ‘hmm’ in agreement, seemingly pleased with the name._

_And then proceeded to trip Mayuzumi again with his anklebreaker._

_“Son of a--”_

* * *

Mayuzumi liked to consider himself a non-confrontational person- whether that was actually the case or not, he didn’t know. Shortly after the unintentional meeting with his superhero-partner-slash-big-boss, he decided that needed to change.

Unfortunately, the only opportunity he would have to confront Emperor ( _no, Akashi Seijuro,_ he reminded himself) would be in-costume.

If the other even showed up.

Mayuzumi figured he would, since Emperor/Akashi hadn’t missed a single night on patrol for as long as Mayuzumi had known him. It was like a ritual, the two of them meeting up every night right at sundown to scour the streets to ensure safety. And sure enough, as the sun went down and Mayuzumi waited at the usual meetup, he heard the familiar sound of boots tapping across the sidewalk, apparently in no hurry.

“Phase.”

“Emperor.”

There was an uncomfortably long silence between them, both men just staring each other down (or rather, Mayuzumi staring Akashi down- Akashi was still wearing that damned sash on his eyes.) Eventually, Akashi looked away, though Mayuzumi could feel as if, somehow, he was the one who had lost whatever silent battle they were having.

“I’m sure you know that my identity is a secret that can’t be revealed, even under torture.”

“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” Mayuzumi countered, and Akashi laughed mirthlessly.

“Phase, if anyone was to know that the future owner of a multibillion company was moonlighting as a superhero, can you imagine what would happen?”

Mayuzumi’s frown deepened. “No, I can’t. Because I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m not an idiot.”

Akashi looked back at him, saying nothing. Mayuzumi didn’t know what was going through his mind (almost certainly nothing good,) but one thing was for sure- he didn’t want to deal with any capriciousness.

“You know, it was just a little while ago you were asking us to get to know each other better. Here’s some info for you, then. My name’s Mayuzumi Chihiro, I’m twenty-two, and I have a shitty tech job at a marketing corporation that I only stick with because it pays well.” Mayuzumi glanced down, and hesitantly added, “I also fight crime with a partner who I trust more than anyone else, against my better judgement.”

A pregnant pause, and then, Akashi slowly lifted his hands to remove the sash from his eyes. Mayuzumi stepped closer, taking the opportunity to get a better look. Akashi’s eyes were… well, to put it frankly, gorgeous. He wouldn’t be willing to admit it, but to be able to see the face of the person he had been standing beside for such a long time without knowing it before was surreal.

“When I saw you at the office, your eye… flashed. Is that why you cover your eyes?”

Akashi pursed his lips. “It flashes when I need to look into the future. I use the sash both to hide my identity and to prevent others from seeing when I use my power.”

Mayuzumi raised an eyebrow. “How do you see out of it?”

Akashi, in a bold move, handed the sash to Mayuzumi, who lifted his goggles and attempted to tie the sash around his eyes.

“It’s a special fabric. Aside from the slight yellow tint, it’s easy to see through.”

Mayuzumi returned the sash, and shook his head. There was something about looking into Akashi’s eyes that unnerved him, though he wasn’t sure if it was the good or bad type of unnerving. Either way, he didn’t want to see them for much longer, possibly out of fear of what might happen if he let himself get lost in them.

“So, we know at least a little bit more about each other now. Can we avoid any tiptoeing around each other before it starts?”

“I thought I was the one meant to be thinking ahead.” Akashi replied, raising an eyebrow.

Mayuzumi, in what might have been a temporary fit of insanity, smiled at Akashi.

Akashi’s answering smile was different, almost too different, from his creepy-at-times grin and his confident smirk. Maybe the fit of insanity wasn’t quite so temporary, because it could have possibly been classified as charming.

“I believe we have work to do, Mayuzumi,” Akashi said after a short while, and re-tied the sash. “Crime doesn’t wait for justice.”

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on twitter @doomtemp


End file.
